Hot 21 Radio

A hurricane on the West Coast? Wildfires in the South...and also the very far north? Vivek Ramaswamy leaping upwards in the polls? It’s more than enough to desperately crave disassociation. But since we can’t give you that (to whatever higher power is listening: lobotomies please), we’ll offer instead some…Read more...

A on the West Coast? in the South...and also the ? leaping upwards in the polls? It’s more than enough to desperately crave disassociation. But since we can’t give you that (to whatever higher power is listening: lobotomies ), we’ll offer instead some distraction. Here are our Jez Recs—across TV, music, and even scents—from the past week to keep your brain in a pleasant, disassociated cloud all weekend. Stay safe and distracted (oxymoronic? maybe!) out there. 2 / 9 Listen to the Addison Rae lost album releases Listen to the Addison Rae lost album releases Two years ago, Kourtney Kardashian’s friend Addison Rae dipped a toe into the sea of social-media-stars-turned-singers and the water was…not fine. Let’s just say her first single, “Obsessed,” got the meme treatment, thus unceremoniously throwing the rest of her album into limbo—that is, until it got leaked. I wasn’t a fan, but months ago when a colleague showed me the unreleased tracks on YouTube, I found myself hooked. Think ’s “World Class Sinner”—but Sam Levinson or The Weeknd could never. On Friday, Rae released a handful of the songs—some with a bit of an update—via a new EP, . Among the collection is “2 Die 4,” a collaboration with Charlie XCX, and “Nothing On (But the Radio),” a track written by none other than Lady Gaga. Both are pure, unadulterated, slutty pop Xanadu. isn’t going to win any awards, but it’ll likely be a friend to all those who harbor nostalgia for the sounds of shallow, unserious Top 40 radio circa 2005. 3 / 9 Stream the episode “Coulda Woulda Shoulda” Stream the episode “Coulda Woulda Shoulda” This week, ’s rebooted spin-off , when Charlotte’s friend Lisa becomes pregnant with her fourth child—just as her career is about to take off. In an emotional conversation, she tells Charlotte through tears, “I just, I thought it was finally my time.” But as fans and critics have pointed out, the topic of abortion barely comes up. Lisa and her husband, Herbert, briefly discuss the option, but only in euphemisms, without even saying the word aloud. To understand why some fans are regarding this plot line as a regression from the original series, I recommend watching ’s 2001 episode “Coulda Woulda Shoulda.” In it, Miranda tells her friends she’s pregnant and plans to have an abortion in commendably simple terms: “I’m not having it… This is not in my plans right now.” Samantha then volunteers she’s had two abortions herself, and Carrie shares that she had one in her 20s. While Miranda does ultimately decide against having an abortion (enter: Brady!), it’s still powerful to these iconic early 2000s characters speak openly about their abortions, in stark contrast with what we got this week. Yes, “Coulda Woulda Shoulda” had its own problems (i.e. Aidan’s MRA rant about father’s rights), but it was bold for its time and remains bold and worth-watching today. 4 / 9 Watch Watch I’ll give this Rec the ol’ two-pronged approach. This show about a rich, exciting sci-fi universe has remarkably less toxicity than certain other multi-verses and much more respect for exploring the outer bounds of humanity (and alien-ness), whether that’s accomplished via diplomacy, PSYOPs, or phasers set to stun. It will get you hooked on all things Captain Pike (played by the man who played Britney’s love interest in !!!) is at the helm here, and this show about his crew on the Enterprise (pre-Kirk...but....spoilers) deftly balances goofiness with trauma, workplace romance with scientific wonder, and violence with ~fun~. There’s essence of Original Series for sure, but with more riveting plot arcs, much like the excellent first two seasons of . My dad, Trekkie extraordinaire, loves it. Season 2 of (on Paramount+) just ended with one hell of a cliffhanger, so the timing couldn’t be better. 5 / 9 Listen to K. Roosevelt Listen to K. Roosevelt I don’t write about music so this is not a review in any sense, just a “check this out, I think it’s cool” type of thing. I was put on to K. Roosevelt this summer (yes, I’m way behind his surge in 2011-2013, whatever). He has a new five-track EP called that I can only describe as summery, chill R&B. Take a little spin, then maybe listen to 2022’s after. 6 / 9 Watch Watch I was 9 years old when (1992) came out, and it remains my favorite rom-com of all time. A sharp-tongued, wealthy Olympic figure skater (Moira Kelly, whom you may recognize from ) is forced to re-partner with a former Olympic hockey player (D.B. Sweeney) from the working-class Midwest. Their personalities clash as she and her coach try to teach Doug how to figure skate, hoping they might qualify for the next Olympics together and revive both of their stunted careers. They seem to hate each other at first, but their chemistry is obvious and their banter extremely fun to watch. I only recently learned that the film was written by the Pulitzer-winning Tony Gi Read more